i don't like the looks of that one either 7C. welcome ken, i think i've picked up a few coins from you.
now that i go back and look at it, i don't like the looks of that cleopatra thea coin you posted recently either 7C. hope i'm wrong.
Many thanks. I shall exchange 2 coins for sure. As for Cleopatra Thea, I still have some doubts. I'll decide on that coin of Cleopatra before Monday. Just imagine that JA and Collect 89 were quite sure it was genuine.
oh ok 7C, if they thought it was ok...then i'm sure it is fine, they are wiser in the ways of coins that i.
Charles, please realize that it is difficult to proclaim authenticity for any given coin based on images alone... especially when those images are low-resolution scans. Sometimes it is possible to definitively state that a coin is a fake, if certain obvious signs are present or if it matches a known fake. CoinTalk members are collectors. Some of us are minimally experienced, some have been collecting a lifetime, and some are also dealers. For instance, Ken Dorney is a Vcoins dealer and he offered his opinion on the first page of this thread. I don't know where you are getting your coins, but it seems that you would do better to buy from ancient coin dealers who have knowledge of their wares, at least until you have more experience.
Charles, I'm not a fan of either of the posted coins in this thread, nor the Cleopatra Thea. Unfortunately the images are not great, so it could be a result of that, but as Ken has shown, the original coin in this thread is a definite fake. AS far as the Macedonian tetradrachm, I do not like the look of it at all either: the fabric looks wrong, but I can't put my finger on exactly what. I also see the same worrying signs on the Cleopatra Thea even and it is too similar to this one for me: http://www.forgerynetwork.com/asset.aspx?id=jWFDyHEOFlE= . Unfortunately the image of the known forgery is quite bad as well, too bad to be of any use to me, but if I were you I would examine it against the coin you have in-hand and try to determine if they match. Honestly, if I were you I would get my money back from this seller and go elsewhere. This seller is a fakeseller selling stuff like this and any coin he has should be considered guilty by association.
Well, I didn't comment on the authenticity of the Thea, only that it was a die match to a coin sold by CNG. That doesn't make it authentic. Scanned images don't accurately convey the fabric of coins - they all look fake when they're scanned. If you want better opinions on authenticity, take high-resolution pics with a good camera. Sometimes fakes are obvious by style, as the OP coin, and you don't really need anything better than a scan. Frankly, I'd dump this dealer altogether - he's sold you far too many forgeries that you've had to return. I would have considered him untrustworthy a long time ago. Is there anyone better in Lebanon? Do you not have access to reputable European dealers?
I believe you're completely right. I'd better buy from V Coins or from members of well- known sites. Sorry for disturbing.
The Amphiloplis tetradrachm appears to be cast in the same manner, likely by the same person. It also has casting seams visible on the reverse from about 1 o'clock to about 11. Also artificially toned in the same way. If you are new to collecting, you will need to do some comparison when buying. For example, genuine coins of these types retail on average $250 at the low, $350 average, maybe $400 on the high end.